Cryptic has a special place in Edge Of Sanity's discography as the only album to not feature the talented Dan Swano. To many fans this might be off putting and a reason to avoid the album. However the reality is of course, very different.

Cryptic is not an album for lovers of progressive Death Metal. It is an album for fans of dirty Death Metal with more in common with Entombed or Dismember's more melodic moments. In some ways it is closer to Death N Roll and Melodic Death Metal than pure Death Metal but it's still a heavy sounding album and certainly far more brutal than most of the Gothenburg crowd.

I don't think I ever actually listened to this one before. It's quite an amazing album as Swedish old school death metal is seemingly one of those things that's impossible to do badly. The riffs seem to practically write themselves and it almost always sounds satisfying. This though somehow manages to defy that with some of the lamest and most forgettable riffs I've heard from the genre. I often wondered if this album was maligned because it lacked Swano. Now I know it's disliked because it's boring as almighty sin. The vocals lack conviction too, though I suppose they aren't bad.

with some of the lamest and most forgettable riffs I've heard from the genre. I often wondered if this album was maligned because it lacked Swano. Now I know it's disliked because it's boring as almighty sin.